Review: Warcry Catacombs Khainite Shadowstalker Models

Khainite Shadowstalker Warband

Warcry is possibly my favourite game to have emerged from the GW stable in recent years and it goes from strength to strength with the release of the new Catacomb 'complete game in a box'.

Shadowstalkers are the first non-chaos unique warband for Warcry, given that Morathi's Khainite goon squads are on the side of Order - theoretically, at least.

Khainite Shadowstalkers are Morathi's Double Ohs. They wear the mircath cloak that gifts power over shadows but binds the wearer to the Queen's psychotic will.

Assembling the eight models was a bit of a pain because the bits were arranged like 3D puzzles and the parts involve very narrow brittle plastic weapons and connections. No matter how I tried, I ended up breaking pieces as I tried to fit the fiendishly designed components together while getting everything covered in glue.

And no, dry fitting first doesn't always help. You get two odd shaped bits to dry-fit after a titanic struggle involving odd twisting motions like masonic handshakes. Then you get them apart, add glue, repeat and they now wont go together...gibber.

I chose a fairly vanilla weapon load-out, following the box art: there are plenty of options on the sprues.

The finished models, though, are amazing...with the one proviso that I worry how they will stand up to travel and repeated handling.

Shroud Queen

I decided to use dark purple-blue shades that I think reflected the zeitgeist of the collection. Silver is the contrasting spot colour because I associate 'silvery' with the moon and moonshadows.

The enigmatic Shroud Queen is, of course, the warband leader.

Shroudblades

These are the warband's sword-fodder. The one on the left has cursed swords and on the right, an umbral spear.

I love the 'Spy versus Spy' look of the right hand model.

Darkflame & Shroudblade

The Darkflame hero has repeater crossbows - all very Dark Elf.

Slaughtershade

Another character armed with the whip of, er, something or other nasty.

Shroudblade & Darkflame

The Darkflame character is armed with a flaming hand...must be good....right?

 

Review Splintered Fang Warband, Warcry

The Splintered Fang

Warcry has become one of my favourite GW games. A great advantage is that all a new player actually needs is a warband and the rulebook.

My long time opponent, Shaun M, gave me some Warcry Bands for my birthday last year and I have used the lockdown to paint them.

I used mostly contrast paints, notably the turquoise and orange.

Go Left

The Splintered Fang are vaguely Atlantis-Hoplite-Gladiator looking troops whose main gig is their poisoned blades. They are snake people.

The models are excellent, as are all the Warcry bands. These are more durable than some of the others: Warcry bands can be a bit fragile.

I can see them appealing to anyone wanting an ancient-fantasy skirmish group.

No, Right

The only disappointment is that ridiculous snake model with a half doz tiny snakes on. I mean how frightening is that? Why not a decent sized serpent?

Nevertheless, great kit and good value for £30 including Warcry cards.

Oh and you can also use these as a chaos unit in Age of Sigmar.

Review Warcry: Unmade

Unmade Warband - click to enlarge.

Warcry is, in my view, a much underrated fantasy skirmish wargame from The Evil Empire. It uses doubles and trebles, etc, from the roll of a set of dice to allow pieces to undertake actions of various complexity. The background is of small chaos warbands, not drawn from the usual factions, roaming the Eight Points realm trying to carry out great deeds to impress The Everchosen of Chaos. Mostly this involves beating up other small warbands.

The Unmade are one of those bands from the Realm of Shish (Realm of the Dead). They worship chaos in the form of pain and to be in an Unmade warband you have to cut your own face off and wear it as a belt buckle decoration - yes, even by GeeDubya standards this is really gruesome. Such a warrior is known as Awakened.

Yep, you really have to suffer for your wokeness in Age of Sigmar.

Moving up in status, a warrior is allowed to cut an arm off so as to permanently attach a weapon. These are the Ascended.

The second in command get to cut both arms off - an honour indeed - which is presumably why they are know as Joyous Ones.

But the leaders are the pièce de résistance. They are known as blissful ones because they get to cut off their legs as well as their arms - and become bladerunners.

The models are some of the best Citadel have made. Really, really beautiful .....in a sadomasochistic sort of way. My only criticism, and it applies to all the Warcry warbands, is that they are a bit delicate as playing pieces. Gorgeous models for a diorama set in an insane world, though.

Highly Recommended (the game ain't bad, either)